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North and East Housing Association FAQs

Residential Tenancies Board

What is the RTB?

RTB is the Residential Tenancies Board, formally the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). Its main function is to maintain a register of private and approved housing body tenancies and to provide a dispute resolution service for tenants and landlords.

What is the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015?

This act brings tenancies from Approved Housing bodies such as North &East, under the remit of the RTB to provide obligatory tenancy registration and dispute resolution.

Will my tenancy be registered?

If you live in a property owned or leased by North & East, your tenancy will be registered. We will inform you when this happens; you will also receive confirmation of registration from the RTB.

If you live in a property owned by a Local authority but managed by North & East your tenancy will not be registered. If you are unsure in what category you are, please contact your Housing Officer.

Do I have to pay for the registration?

No. North & East will incur the registration costs involved.

Will the Residential Tenancy Act affect my security of tenure?

No. North & East Housing is committed to security of tenure. The Act does lay out minimum notice periods of ending of tenancy, however this will only arise should there be a breach of your tenancy agreement for example- non-payment of rent, sub-letting, anti-social behaviour.

All new tenants will automatically be on an initial 6-month probationary period at the end of which the tenancy may be ended, this will only occur in instances of breach of tenancy.

Do I have to sign a new Tenancy Agreement?

No. Your current Tenancy agreement is still valid.

Dispute Resolution Service.

We ask you to work with your Housing Officer if you have any concerns. If, however, either party is not happy with the outcome, the RTB have a disputes resolution service.

The mediation service is free. There is a fee for the adjudication services. Please refer to www.rtb.ie or the booklet which was sent to you.

Anyone wishing to be considered for housing with us must in the first instance register for housing with their local authority’s housing department.

We follow a similar process when allocating all of our housing, regardless of scheme type, however, there are some variations. In all cases, our Housing Officer will guide and support applicants through this process and provide all possible assistance to ensure that the experience for applicants is as smooth and stress free as possible.

Family Housing

We work in partnership with local authorities in the allocation of our homes and therefore, do not maintain our own housing waiting list.

In the event of one of our properties becoming vacant or we take over new housing, we notify the relevant local authority’s housing department, who in turn pass on a list of applicants who have been approved for the area on their housing waiting list.

Our Housing Officer makes contact with those people on the list and invites them to apply directly to us, which involves the completion of our housing application form, providing documentary evidence of income and other relevant information. All applicants are requested to give permission to us to take up references. When we have received the completed information, the Housing Officer will arrange to meet the applicant in their home to discuss their housing requirements in further detail.

The Housing Officer will consider all of the information gathered and in line with our lettings and allocations policy will, in conjunction with the Operations Manager, make a recommendation to the local authority regarding any offers of housing.

Once agreement is reached with the Local Authority, a provisional offer of housing is made to the applicant.

If the offer is accepted, the prospective tenant will be requested to attend a pre-tenancy meeting to discuss all matters related to moving into their new home.

Family Housing managed on behalf of local authorities

A similar process will follow when a vacancy arises in a managed property and will depend on the policies and procedures of the relevant local authority.

The local authority will, usually advise the applicant that they have been referred to us for housing and an arrangement will be made to meet with our Housing Officer.

Special Needs Housing

Applicants requiring special needs accommodation must also be registered with the local authority and all allocations are approved as with family housing. Depending on the nature of the need, contact may be made with a Care/Support organisation or advocate regarding the allocation process.

Who is my Housing Officer?

To contact any of our Housing Officers please call 01-8200002 or email info@neha.ie

Clinic: EveryWednesday mornings from 10am to 12 noon in the Connect Resource Centre, 171 Moneymore, Drogheda. This clinic is open to residents from Wheaton Hall, McArdle Green, Seaview Grove, Ardmore, Golden Ridge Mews and The Gallery.

Dublin City, Arklow, Rush, Trim, Ashbourne, Balrothery, : Ciara Smyth

Clinic: Every Wednesday afternoon in Ashbourne

Navan, Kells, Carrickmacross, Rush, Blackrock, Dundalk: Jackie Knight

Clinic: Every Thursday morning in An Chearnog estate office Dundalk

Every Tuesday in Blackthorn Grove estate office Kells

Pay Rent

How much rent do I pay?

The rent you pay will be determined by some or all of the following:

Where you live

The type of housing you occupy or the funding scheme used for development

Your weekly or monthly income

The number of people (adults & children) living in your home

The service charge payable on the estate or building

Before assessing your rent, we will ask you to complete an income form and provide evidence of your household’s income. Download an income form here on our Publications page.

How is my rent calculated?

Your rent is calculated based on information provided on your income form and from supporting documents. The formula we use to calculate your rent will depend on the factors already listed, however, your Housing Officer can give you details of the one relevant to you.

When can I expect my rent to increase?

We review all of our rents annually. For most of our residents this takes effect from the beginning of March, however, in some areas, reviews take effect from August as required by the relevant Local Authority.

What happens if I am not happy with the rent charged?

If you believe that your rent has not been calculated correctly, please let us know and we can re-check it. If it is found to be incorrect, we will of course amend your rent account accordingly. However, if it is found to be correct, we will not be able to reduce it.

If I stop work or there are other changes in my circumstances, will my rent change?

Please let your Housing Officer know straight away if your income changes so that we can adjust your rent if necessary.

How do I pay my rent?

Paying your rent is a very important legal aspect of your tenancy agreement with us as without income from rent, we cannot keep our housing or estates in good repair. We have made a number of options available to help make it easier for you to pay your rent which are;

Bank lodgement book

Standing Order

Household Budget

Can I request a statement of my rent account?

We send all of our tenants a rent statement on a quarterly basis. If you require an additional statement, your Housing Officer can provide this for you. Please click on the link for an explanation of the statements you receive: Tenant Statements explained 2014

What happens if I don’t pay my rent?

We understand that occasionally some tenants may unintentionally miss a week’s payment. If this does happen, please contact your Housing Officer to let us know when the missed payment will be made up. We depend on the income received from rent to deliver our services and take non-payment of rent very seriously. Your Housing Officer will contact you by telephone, text, letter and home visits as part of rent arrears management. Failure to pay your rent is considered to be a breach of your tenancy agreement and persistent non payers may be subject to legal action. It is important that you respond to any communications received from us in this regard. We recommend that if you are experiencing difficulties with paying your rent or any other bills that you make contact with your local Money Advice and Budgeting Service.

Request a Repair

You may need to contact us from time to time to have a repair carried out which you can do by:

Telephoning us on 01 820 0002
Reporting it in person to your Housing Officer
Notifying us in writing

Please give us as much information as you can when you telephone us as this helps us to diagnose the nature of the problem.

When you contact us you will be

asked to provide a contact telephone number
advised if the repair falls under the responsibility of North & East
advised how soon you can expect the repair to be completed.

How do I know if the repair is my responsibility?

Depending on the nature of the repair, the responsibility for carrying out the repair will lie either with you, the tenant or us, the landlord. In the cases where management companies exist on estates, responsibility for some types of repairs will also rest with them but we can advise you if this is the case. If you are unsure, please contact us anyhow as it is important that we are aware of any potential problems. Repair responsibilities are as follows;

North & East Housing Association’s Responsibilities

To keep in repair the structure and exterior of all properties. This includes drains, gutters, external pipes and services.
To keep in repair and proper working order the installations in each property for the supply of water, gas, electricity and sanitation.
To keep in repair and proper working order installations, in each property, for space heating and heating of water.
To keep in repair any step or path that is an essential means of access to property.
To keep in reasonable repair any boundary wall of fence provided by NEHA.
Keep all communal lighting (internal and external) in repair unless taken in charge by the local authority
Keep in repair communal areas to apartments and maisonettes including halls, stairways, lighting, lifts and any other essential equipment and to periodically decorate the communal areas.
To periodically paint the exterior of houses.
Maintain open spaces, drainage, roads etc. on schemes not taken in charge by the Local Authority

Tenants’ Responsibilities

Tenants must repair, renew or replace as necessary any parts of the structure, installations, fixtures and fittings inside or outside of the building that are damaged by them, a member of their household or someone they have allowed into the property. If North & East carry out any such works they will be re-charged to the tenant. Tenants are responsible for the following repairs:

In furnished accommodation the tenant may be liable for keeping in repair fixtures and fittings supplied by North & East/Local Authority in accordance with terms set up in the lease. The Tenant is also responsible for general and preventative responsibilities as follows:

Taking reasonable steps to prevent pipes freezing in winter
Properly installing washing machines and electrical and gas appliances. For legal and safety reasons tenants may use only suitably qualified persons to carry out work involving electricity and gas and North & East may ask for proof of the tradesperson’s qualifications.
Taking reasonable steps to prevent drains from becoming blocked. Tenants will be recharged for blockages caused by toys/toilet fresheners, nappies etc.
Ensuring that the property is treated in a reasonable manner and repairing or replacing any item damaged by the tenant, a member of the household or any visitor to the property
Allowing North & East’s staff, agents and contractors access at reasonable hours of the day to the property to inspect or carry out repairs or to undertake annual servicing of appliances.

How soon will my repair be carried out?

Repairs will be carried out within normal working hours Monday – Friday unless you agree otherwise with the contractor. We categorise all repair requests in order of priority either as emergency, urgent or routine and aim to complete repairs within the following timescales:

Emergency Repairs will be made safe where applicable within 6 hours of receipt of report and completed within 24 hours
Urgent Repairs will be carried out within 5 working days of receipt of report
Routine Repairs will be completed within a maximum of 40 days of receipt of report but will be completed within 20 days where an inspection is not deemed necessary.

What do I do if the contractor does not turn up or I am not happy with the work completed?

Please let us know as soon as you can so that we can rectify the problem. We appreciate your feedback on our repair service and you can download a form here: Repairs Feedback Form.

How do I report a repair outside of office hours?

We operate an out of hours service for emergency repairs only. The out of hours emergency repair service is available Monday to Friday 5pm to 9am and all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. The number to call is 053 9374811.

If you would like to log a non-emergency repair or any other issue outside of business hours; please call the head office number 01 820 0002 and the answering service will allow you to leave a message which will be responded to on the next working day.

Report Anti-Social Behaviour

We believe that people have the right to live peacefully in their home and community. We take anti-social behaviour very seriously and will do our best to help solve any problems. However, we do need your help to achieve this. Anti-social behaviour can be described as persistent behaviour by a resident, member of their household or a visitor to the household that could cause fear, danger, injury, damage, loss, annoyance, nuisance or disturbance to any neighbour or guests of that neighbour – basically anything that impacts on other people in a negative way. Examples of anti-social behaviour include:

If you have witnessed or are affected by anti-social behaviour, please contact your Housing Officer so that we can investigate it further. If you witness criminal activity, please report it to the Gardai. You can also download an anti-social behaviour diary (Anti-social behaviour Incident Diary) where you can record all the relevant details. Please remember that where homes are located close together, there will be a certain amount of noise and differences in lifestyles.

What will happen when I report Anti-Social Behaviour?

We take all reports of anti-social behaviour seriously. When you report an incident you will be asked a series of questions to help us assess the problem. We may ask you to fill in an Incident Diary to record re-occurring incidents of anti-social behaviour or harassment. Download an Incident Diary here (Anti-social behaviour Incident Diary). Depending on the nature of the case, we may then carry out a further investigation and take any necessary action to resolve the situation. Written records of all cases are maintained.

Keep a Pet

Under certain circumstanmces pets are permitted in North & East homes. Please contact your Housing Officer should you wish to keep a pet and she will advise you on how to proceed. If the keeping of pets is permitted in your home you will need to fill out a Pet Application Form and return it to your Housing Officer

Apply for the Education Bursary

Information for Applicants: Please read before completing the application:

Eligibility

This is a means tested bursary and your circumstances will be assessed when you apply for the bursary. At the time of your application, you should provide the same information as is now required for rent reviews, ie. social welfare receipts, bank statements and payslips and a P60 for those in employment. If your rent review has been submitted in the past 3 months, we will be able to use the information provided in that; please note this in your application form.

Please note that the bursary cannot be awarded to tenants who have arrears on their rent account. You should have had a clear rent account for a minimum of 3 months before your application can be accepted.

What the bursary covers

For eligible students, the grant is there to help with the various costs that might be associated with attending the course, including registration/course/exam fees, books/materials, transport and childcare. The receipts should be made available at the time of applying for the bursary.

Criteria

Any post-secondary school course, run by a recognised educational institution, will be considered, however, the course should be beneficial to the career development and future employment of the tenant.

Application

The application should be made within 3 months of the start of the course. A tenant may avail of the bursary for up to 3 times. The amount available is decided* on an individual basis, but is up to €500 maximum, per academic year.

If you think you may be eligible for the bursary, you should make the application as soon as possible. Your eligibility can only be confirmed once the full application has been submitted.

If you wish to move from your existing property to another North & East property or to a property owned by a local authority or other social housing provider, you should in the first instance speak with your Housing Officer. Tenants of social housing landlords can move either by transfer or mutual exchange.

Transfers

A transfer is when you move to another home owned by us. You can usually only transfer if your circumstances have changed and your existing home is no longer suitable for your needs. For example, your family might have grown and you no longer have enough bedrooms or you might want to move if you have a job in a different area from where you live and transport is difficult.

To be accepted for a transfer you have to have a good tenancy record. This means that your rent account must be up to date, your home in good condition, and there must be no history of anti social behaviour or any other management issues. To register for a move within North & East, you will be need to complete a transfer application form. We also recommend that you also make an application with the local authority’s housing department. When the local authority assessed your application, they may place you on their waiting list which will increase your chances of finding a new home. It is important to remember that as we have a limited number of properties, even if we agree that you need to move, it may be some time before we can help you.

Mutual exchange

A mutual exchange is when two or more tenants, housing association or local authority, swap homes by legally assigning their tenancies to each other. This means that you pass on your tenancy to the person moving into your home and take over their tenancy for their home. It will be up to you to find a tenant to exchange homes with and you may have to advertise to achieve this. If you find a tenant to exchange with, please contact your Housing Officer who will guide you through this process.

REMEMBER: Do not give up your tenancy to someone else without having first got written authorisation from your Housing Officer to do so.

Moving Out

If you are a relative reading this due to a recent bereavement, please give us a call on 01 8200002 and we can meet with you to discuss any necessary arrangements.

All tenants of North & East are required to give 4 weeks written notice of their intention to vacate a property. If you are planning to move out of your home, please let us know as soon as possible, even if you haven’t a definite moving out date.

Please complete and sign this form and send it on to your Housing Officer

When the signed form has been returned to us, your Housing Officer will then contact you to confirm receipt and to arrange an appointment to inspect your home and to discuss the process of moving out and ending your tenancy with us.

Before you leave the property you will be required comply with the following:

1. Rent & Service Charge

All rent and service charge is paid up to the date of termination of the tenancy.

2. Condition of Property

You must return the property to us clean and clear and in a good state of repair. You must ensure that the property, garden and shed (where one exists) are left in a clean condition and clear of all furnishings, personal belongings and rubbish. All rubbish bins if remaining at the property must be left empty. All gas and wired electrical appliances must be removed by a suitably qualified/registered tradesperson.

Any belongings or rubbish left in or around the premises at the end of the tenancy will be treated as abandoned and North & East will dispose of any such items as it thinks fit and will accept no liability for them. In such instances, you will be charged for the cost of cleaning and clearing the property.

A charge will also be applied for any defects not considered to be the result of ‘fair wear and tear’ or missing items in the property. You must make sure that the proper fixtures and fittings have been left in the premises.

If you have made alterations or improvements to the property while you lived there, then these must either remain in the property when you move or alternatively, you must reinstate the original fixtures and fittings.

3. Utility Bills

Please read your electricity and gas meters on the day you leave the property and pass these on together with your forwarding address to the relevant utility companies. You should also arrange for disconnection of telephone, broadband, cable or satellite TV. Any satellite dish in place must be removed from the property.

4. Keys

Your Housing Officer will arrange to meet you at your home on an agreed day to carry out a final check and to collect keys. All Keys to front and rear doors,internal doors windows and gates should be handed over in person to a member of North & East HA staff.

Please do not leave keys with friends or neighbours or send them by post.

Your tenancy will not be deemed to have ended until you return the keys and therefore rent will be payable until such time as all keys are returned.

North & East Housing Association

North & East Housing Association is a company limited by guarantee CHY number 197791. Registered Charity number 20029074
Approved Housing Body Status from the Dept. Housing, Planning and Local Government

Granted Certified Body Status by the Housing Finance Agency in 2016

Compliant with the The Voluntary Regulation Code for Approved Housing Bodies and

The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland
Member of Irish Council for Social Housing and The Wheel